Rival PREM club table gigantic offer for Henry Pollock

Newcastle Red Bulls have tabled a massive three-year deal to Northampton Saints and England star Henry Pollock that is understood to meet Eddie Hearn’s £1m-a-year valuation of one of English rugby’s brightest young talents.

Pollock is in the final year of his Saints contract and has been free to talk to rival clubs since July 1, and Newcastle, who are backed by the Austrian-owned energy drinks giants, are keen to take him to the North-East next season.

It is potentially a massive blow to Saints just 24 hours after director of rugby Phil Dowson, speaking at the launch of the Gallagher PREM season, said he was confident that Pollock would be staying at Franklin’s Gardens beyond the end of the season.

Dowson said that the club needed to “find a happy medium” between what they can afford for a star-studded squad and the PREM’s £6.4 million salary cap, which can stretch to £7.8 million with credits for homegrown talent and other factors.

“The appetite is for him to stay. Now we’ve got to find a happy medium. We really want to keep him. He really wants to stay, and that’s a great start. We still have to make decisions based on our budget and our financial situation.

“We’ll continue to do that in the best way possible. That is in discussion with agents, discussions with the group and discussions with the decision-makers about what we can afford and how we put a squad together, how that fits within our budget.”

But Newcastle, who have been in the market for big names since last summer’s takeover by Red Bull, are prepared to test that resolve with a backloaded three-year deal that will gradually increase until he becomes their marquee player in 2029.

And as part of the deal, Pollock, who has won 13 England caps and is one of 25 players who receive an enhanced contract worth £150,000 a year, would join Red Bull’s talent stable of ambassadors.